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L161 Bickerstaff 10A Heath Delgado Acosta LLP C. Robert Heath I PARTNER Phone: 512-472-8021 Email: bheath@bickerstaff.com Rodriguez v. Bexar County, Tex., 385 F.3d 853 (5t" Cir. 2004). The firm successfully defended Bexar County against various voting rights and state constitutional attacks when it abolished a constable precinct. 2001 Texas legislative and congressional redistricting litigation. The firm was retained by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas to assist the state in defense of the 2001 legislative redistricting and in the litigation in which the federal court drew an interim congressional plan. The cases included Mexican -American Legislative Caucus Texas House of Representatives v. Texas, 536 U.S. 919 (2002) (summ. aff.); Perry v. Del Rio, 67 S.W.3d 85 (Tex. Sup. 2001); In re Perry, 60 S.W.3d 857 (Tex. Sup. 2001). Chen v. City of Houston, 206 F.3d 502 (5t" Cir. 2000). The firm represented the City of Houston in defending its current redistricting plan against a Shaw v. Reno challenge. The district court granted summary judgment in favor of the City, and the Fifth Circuit affirmed in March 2000. The United States Supreme Court, Justice Thomas dissenting, denied Chen's petition for writ of certiorari. Robert Valdespino and Brenda Rolon v. Alamo Heights Independent School District, et at., 168 F.3d 848 (5t" Cir. 1999). The firm successfully defended the school district in a challenge to its at -large election system. The plaintiffs filed a petition for certiorari, and the Solicitor General, at the invitation of the Court, submitted a brief in which the United States urged that the petition be granted. The Supreme Court, however, denied the petition in January 2000. Foreman v. Dallas County, Texas, 521 US 979 (1997) This case, which produced a U.S. Supreme Court opinion, related to whether procedures for appointing election judges were covered by Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. The case was dismissed before a final ruling on the merits, but the district court awarded attorney's fees after finding that the suit was a catalyst to corrective legislation. The Fifth Circuit reversed the award and narrowed the scope of the catalyst theory as a basis for awarding attorney's fees (193 F.3d 314 (5th Cir. 1999)). A petition for certiorari was denied by the Supreme Court. Campos v. City of Houston, 113 F.3d 544 (5th Cir. 1997). This case involved a successful defense of the at - large portion of the City of Houston's election system. The case established the Fifth Circuit rule on using citizen voting age population in voting rights analysis. Campos v. City of Houston, 776 F. Supp. 304 (S.D. Tex. 1991), No. 91-6100 (5th Cir. Oct. 24, 1991), 960 F.2d 26 (5th Cir. 1991) (subsequently withdrawn), 968 F.2d 446 (5th Cir. 1992), 112 S.Ct. 354 (1991) (Scalia, J., in chambers), 113 S.Ct. 971 (1993) (denial of certiorari). This hotly contested case involved a counterclaim in which the city sought permission for the 1991 city election to be conducted notwithstanding the Department of Justice's objection to the 1991 redistricting plan. The city was successful, and the election was held as scheduled. United States v. City of Houston, 800 F. Supp. 504 (S.D. Tex. 1992) (3-judge court). The firm defended the city in a suit brought by the Department of Justice which sought to enjoin the city's 1991 election. The election was not enjoined and the court rejected a subsequent request by the United States to overturn it. Texas v. United States, No. 94-1529 (D.D.C. July 10, 1995) (3-judge court). The firm represented Harris, Fort Bend, Tarrant, and Midland counties before the district court of the District of Columbia seeking preclearance of the creation of several judgeships. The Department of Justice had earlier refused to preclear the statutes creating the courts. Since preclearance was required to be sought by the State, the counties participated in the capacity as amicus. The District of Columbia court precleared all the courts. Harris v. City of Houston, 151 F.3d 186 (5t" Cir. 1998). The firm was voting rights counsel to the city in defending its 1996 annexation of the Kingwood area against attacks under the Voting Rights Act. The district court ruled for the city and the Fifth Circuit dismissed the appeal as moot. www.bickerstaff.com Austin El Paso Houston McAllen 3